On Friday, Pittsburgh Steelers WR Allen Robinson II jumped on Sirius XM Radio with Solomon Wilcots on The Opening Drive, serving as a guest host. The two talked about several things Steelers-related including Pickett’s progression during his second offseason as well as the well-rounded group of weapons that they have on the offensive side of the football.
One of those weapons didn’t see a single regular or preseason season snap, however as WR Calvin Austin III got injured in training camp last season with a foot injury that required surgery, causing him to miss his entire rookie season.
While Austin has yet to take a snap in an NFL game, Robinson is confident in the young receiver’s ability to make an impact right away as a big-play threat.
“Don’t want to forget about Calvin,” Robinson said. “Calvin Austin’s a guy who people may not have saw a lot of, but when you look at his skillset with the speed dynamic and him being able to make sound plays and different things like that, you have a well-rounded group.”
Calvin Austin III was a splash play waiting to happen during his time at Memphis, being a threat to go the distance any time he touched the ball. The speedy WR averaged 16.3 YPR for his college career and scored 22 TDs through the air while rushing for three scores on just eight career carries. He also served as the Tigers’ main punt returner his final two seasons at Memphis, taking two punts back to the house.
Calvin Austin III has legit speed and explosiveness to take the top off the defense or be a threat with the ball in his hands after the catch. He was able to give Sauce Gardner fits when he was at Cincinnati, calling him the best college WR he faced. While he may need to kick off some rust to start the 2023 season, but the skillset is still there to challenge defenses if he gets into open space.
Austin rounds out what looks to be a well-rounded WR core as Robinson mentioned, having bigger guys like himself and George Pickens to win contested catches as well as Diontae Johnson who is a nuanced route runner. Should the group stay healthy for a majority of the season, Pittsburgh should boast a formidable receiver core with Austin being the team’s lighting in a bottle that can strike from anywhere on the field.
